Vanderbilt faces Northern Illinois on Saturday in DeKalb, IL. 14Powers.com previews this SEC football game and predicts the final score.
By 14Powers.com SEC Football
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Team Schedules/Results
Vanderbilt
| Date | Opp. | Time/Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/27 | Hawaii | W 63-10 | Away |
| 09/03 | Elon | W 42-31 | Home |
| 09/10 | Wake Forest | L 25-45 | Home |
| 09/17 | N Illinois | 3:30 pm | Away |
| 09/24 | Alabama | 12:00 pm | Away |
| 10/08 | Mississippi | 8:00 pm | Home |
| 10/15 | Georgia | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 10/22 | Missouri | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 11/05 | S Carolina | 1:00 pm | Home |
| 11/12 | Kentucky | 12:00 pm | Away |
| 11/19 | Florida | 12:00 pm | Home |
| 11/26 | Tennessee | 12:00 pm | Home |
Northern Illinois
| Date | Opp. | Time/Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01 | E Illinois | W 34-27 | Home |
| 09/10 | Tulsa | L 35-38 | Away |
| 09/17 | Vanderbilt | 3:30 pm | Home |
| 09/24 | Kentucky | 12:00 pm | Away |
| 10/01 | Ball State | 12:00 pm | Away |
| 10/08 | Toledo | 3:30 pm | Home |
| 10/15 | E Michigan | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 10/22 | Ohio | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 11/02 | Central Mich | 7:00 pm | Home |
| 11/09 | W Michigan | 7:00 pm | Away |
| 11/16 | Miami (OH) | 12:00 pm | Home |
| 11/26 | Akron | 12:00 pm | Home |
College Football Ratings
| Rating | Vanderbilt | Northern Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN FPI | 88 | 114 |
| Sagarin | 98 | 95 |
| Massey Composite | 94 | 98 |
| PiRate Ratings | 96 | 71 |
Key Stats
| Stat (per game) | Vanderbilt | Northern Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Total Offense | 439.7 | 382.0 |
| Rushing Offense | 232.0 | 156.5 |
| Passing Offense | 207.7 | 225.5 |
| Team Passing Eff. | 152.69 | 152.99 |
| Scoring Offense | 43.3 | 34.5 |
| Total Defense | 434.7 | 435.0 |
| Rushing Defense | 137.0 | 136.0 |
| Pass Yards Allowed | 297.7 | 299.0 |
| Team Pass Eff. Def. | 138.63 | 166.2 |
| Scoring Defense | 28.7 | 32.5 |
| Turnover Margin | -0.3 | 1.5 |
| 3rd Down Conv. Pct | 0.324 | 0.520 |
| 4th Down Conv. Pct | 0.286 | 0.000 |
| 3rd Down Conv. % Def. | 0.302 | 0.560 |
| 4th Down Conv. % Def. | 0.125 | 0.500 |
| Red Zone Offense | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| Red Zone Defense | 0.700 | 1.000 |
| Net Punting | 41.07 | 37.3 |
| Punt Returns | 1.0 | 3.5 |
| Kickoff Returns | 20.0 | 15.9 |
| First Downs Offense | 56 | 38 |
| First Downs Defense | 64 | 48 |
| Fewest Penalties/Game | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| Fewest Penalty Yards/Game | 45.7 | 78.5 |
Players to Watch
Vanderbilt
QB Mike Wright, TE Ben Bresnahan, LB Anfernee Orji, DL Nate Clifton, OL Bradley Ashmore, DB Jaylen Mahoney, P Matthew Hayball, LS Wesley Schelling.
Northern Illinois
QB Rocky Lombardi, RB Antario Brown, WR Cole Tucker, WR Kacper Rutkiewicz, K John Richardson, LB Izayah Green-May, DL Michael Kennedy.
Injuries
Vanderbilt
[OL] 08/27/2022 – Brayden Bapst is “?” (Undisclosed)
[DL] 08/27/2022 – Daevion Davis is “?” (Knee)
[LB] 08/26/2022 – Miles Capers is out for season (Knee)
[DL] 08/27/2022 – Devin Lee is “?” (Undisclosed)
Northern Illinois
[WR] 08/13/2022 – Trayvon Rudolph is out for season (Undisclosed)
Source: statfox.com
Vanderbilt vs. Northern Illinois Football Series History
Vanderbilt leads 4-0
Comments
The Commodores look to regroup after suffering their first loss of the season against Wake Forest last weekend. That game produced a Mike Wright or AJ Swann quarterback controversy at Vandy. I believe Vandy is a lot better than they looked on Saturday. That game was a mess and should be forgotten. Regardless of which QB plays the most, the Commodores prevail on the road.
14Powers Preseason Prediction
Vanderbilt 40, N Illinois 34
14Powers.com Gameweek Prediction
Vanderbilt 34, Northern Illinois 24
Saturday‘s game kicks off at 2:30 PM CT (3:30 PM ET. You can watch this SEC football game on the CBSSN Network.
